schmorgasboar!!

It seems when we get a call about one boar, more calls follow.

Dexter came to us last week. He's a ball of energy! Dexter was the little boy found by a hiker in Phoenix. He is having a great time running around and getting lots of love. He is most likely a hog and will get very large! There has been much interest in adopting him, so he will find a good home for sure.




Another call Mary received was regarding Ramone. He was living in the back yard of some college students' house in Phoenix. He was not getting the care he deserved. Some neighbors were doing all they could to ensure that he was doing well. The neighbors were initially allowed to come over to care for him, but the students soon told them they were no longer allowed as they were renting out a room. The students did not want the boar any longer. Concerned for the outcome the neighbors called Mary. Ben and Mary went to pick him up earlier this week. He was named Jamon, ham in Spanish. We quickly changed that to Ramone :) Much more suiting.
Ramone is very very friendly and handsome. He love to be pet and scratched. Both boys will be getting neutered soon.

Step into the Laboratory

Dexter's laboratory!! I think we are sticking with the name Dexter for this little man.
He was found on a trail in Phoenix very dehydrated. He led a hiker back to his carrier, which was opened for him to run free left with only a bowl of food. Luckily this hiker was kind enough to take this little one in until he could contact us. He arrived at Ironwood on Monday. He is very friendly and as you can see, being a boar is hard work!

Wilbur and Baby

Wilbur and Baby are quite a pair. They love to explore together and keep each other warm during these cool nights. They're incredibly sweet and as you can see in the video, Baby knows how to turn on the charm for treats.

Rudy

Rudy was delighted to wear his new sweater. He's already a little too big for it but on the cold days he can wear it for extra warmth :)




Please remember to keep your animals warm this winter!!

Pigs Need to be Warm Too

A lovely sweater was donated for our boy PeeWee. It fits perfect!! Here's to a warm winter.




One was also donated for our little Rudy. Pictures of that soon!

Open House

The open house was so much fun! We had around 350 people come out to see the sanctuary and meet the pigs. It was great to see people enjoy it so much. The pigs came out for attention, pumpkin and pictures.






We had many blankets donated. The pigs will surely be warm! We also had a lot of peanut butter donated. We won't have to buy any for months!! Thanks everyone!




For those wondering, we use the peanut butter to give the pigs their medications :)


Through the open house we were also able to get a sponsor for one of our new pigs, PeeWee! Lucky girl :)

We are busy busy prepping for the open house Saturday. Much of this includes making sure all of the fields are raked. With near 24 fields, this is no quick task!




Here is our Main field all cleaned up.

November Newsletter!

Our November newsletter has been sent out and is online. If you'd like to see it go here:
http://ironwoodpigsanctuary.com/


I wrote an article on pigs making pig friends. Couldn't be better timing as little Rudy and his new sister Katie were seen cuddling this morning.


Katie was a recent foreclosure case and did not live with other pigs. It's nice to see her making a friend.

Photobooks!

Ironwood now has their own photobooks! I made these last week and am already getting orders, especially for Christmas presents. They will be available at our open house on November 13th, or you can contact me directly. Proceeds benefit the sanctuary :D

They are 7x9 with a soft cover and 22 pages of pig goodness!

Rudy update

Our little boy Rudy is growing up! You may remember, he has been diagnosed with spinal deformities and an inner ear deformity. Rudy has been doing well. He still has unstable moments but for the most part is able to walk a lot better. He enjoys spending time exploring the yard with other pigs. He likes to give kisses and thankfully still lets me pick him up. Rudy also still prefers to sleep in a lap. Who could say no!?

Here is Rudy when he first came to us:







Here is Rudy now!

Newbies

I haven't updated the blog in a while. I've been updating our Facebook page a lot more and we've been crazy busy at the sanctuary. Our latest happenings include taking in more pigs and taking pigs in for surgery. We've had a lot of sweet newcomers lately! Here are two of them, Ashley and Pebbles. They are adorable and love to talk! They come from a neglect case in Phoenix. They came to us underfed and covered in ticks. We've treated them for the ticks and have been giving them vitamins.



Two other newcomers are Stella and Katie. Katie comes from a foreclosure in Buckeye. She's been having a blast exploring and getting attention. Stella was found as a stray in Phoenix. She is full of energy! Such a sweetie.

Newsletters

We put out newsletters bimonthly. I happen to love them! We always have awesome, informative stories and lots of great pictures of our pigs. Our September newsletter has just come out. I have an article about Rudy in it on page 2.

If you aren't on our mailing list you can always read our newsletters online!
http://ironwoodpigsanctuary.com


They are on the right side of the page. We have all of our past newsletters on their as well as current ones.

Raw

Whenever we have health issues with the pigs here they seem to come in waves. One of our big issues lately has been the pigs rubbing their faces raw.











We have had a huge fly problem this year which we think is the main culprit. Almost every day we notice a new pig with raw spots on their face. We are able to treat them and use SWAT to keep the flies away while they heal. We are definitely flying through the SWAT though, no pun intended ;)

On-Site Surgery

Today one of the veterinarians that we work with came to the sanctuary to do some check ups. We are lucky enough to be able to schedule days with her to do this.

Today the big 'to do' was neutering Ziggy. Ziggy is a very big pig, hence why we did his surgery here and not in the office. The trip to the office alone would have been very stressful on him, not to mention the struggles there would be to get him on a table, that he wouldn't fit on, and to keep him on it.

We like to take advantage of the time that pigs are under anesthesia to trim their hooves and tusks. You can see Donna doing so in this picture.















Ziggy also had a tumor removed today. It was located above his tail on top of his rump. This is a difficult area as the skin is especially thick/hard and there isn't much skin to use when sewing him back up. Dr.Page was able to remove it and suture him up well. We are sending it in for tests.








I just checked on Ziggy and he seemed to be resting comfortably. He stretched out for a belly rub and continued to sleep. I will update as he recovers.

Overcoming Obstacles

I wanted to give an update on Rudy. Due to his spinal and inner ear deformities he would have such trouble walking without falling down. Rudy is now able to walk and run and only falls down occasionally. It's so great to see him grow. He now hangs out with some of our older pigs and roams the yard.

Pals

Lately I've been snagging photos of pigs that like to hang out together. We have quite the many that can always be found together. Bert and Ernie, Molly and Regina, Cinderfella and Buckwheat...

Most recently George and Peanut have discovered that they enjoy each other's company. Peanut is about 21 years old. It's nice that she has someone to hang out with.












To see some photos of the other pairs check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/IronwoodPigSanctuary

Ironwoods Newest Residents

We had two new pigs join the Ironwood group this week. First I'd like to introduce Ziggy. Ziggy is incredible!! He's very large and very sweet. It's hard to look at him and not produce a smile. Ziggy comes from a nice home. Unfortunately, due to the economy and housing foreclosures Ziggy needed a new home. Ben made the drive to Phoenix to pick him up. To Ben's surprise Ziggy was a lot bigger than we had thought!! The drive back to Ironwood was pretty tough of Ziggy. Ben had to make frequent stops to spray him with water and ensure he was safe.

He now loves to roam and hit on all the lady pigs. He's a charmer!














Our other newcomer is Bo Jangles!! Bo is 11 months old. His family turned him into the Phoenix Humane Society due to Bo having a possible infected eye and maybe more. Without being able to pay vet bills the family opted to turn him over to the HS. They called us and Mary could not turn down this boy. Lucky for him because he is now enjoying many belly rubs and finding pools to hang out it. We have a vet appointment set up to find out what's going on with his eye. I will update on that! Now, here's Bo!

Pig Lips

Noses are usually people's favorite part of a pig. I can see why! However, pig lips are also a favorite of mine. We have a hand full of pigs that have a special type of lip. A lip that pokes out when they beg for a treat and you just can't say no!

I would like to introduce Pinky. She's an amazing girl who is incredibly loving. We were spending some time with her last night and she showed me her bottom lip. Absolutely adorable.

9-5

I think it's hard for people to understand that working at any rescue is not a 9-5 job. There is so much that needs to be done on a regular basis, then you have the added oddball jobs that come up and sick animals that need care. We are constantly on the move here at Ironwood trying to ensure we are getting as much done in a day that we can. Most of my days start as the sun rises and don't end till the sun is ready to hide.

I thought I'd share a picture of one of our George's. He gets a new medication that we have been using, Prazosin. It needs to be given at certain times throughout the day, including in the evening. He doesn't seem to mind.

111

It's really heating up here at the sanctuary. Today hit 111 degrees. The high temps can really take a toll on the pigs. We have to walk the property often to ensure that no one is getting overheated and spray them off as needed. Another part of our "summerizing" includes making sure all of our shades are up and secure. It's hugely important that the pigs have plenty of shade and water.










Most of the pigs are pretty good about keeping themselves cool. They do this by hanging out in the shade, the pools and the wallows. Today we received a new shipment of pools.








I also walked around to snap some photos of pigs in wallows. The cutest pair I found had to be Bert and Ernie keeping cool together, sweet boys.

Raising Awareness and Donations

In my attempt to raise awareness of Ironwood and the things we do I have started making large prints of photos of our pigs. I have been selling them online and hope to get them out into the community soon. Here are some examples.












We also have hats for sale! $10 each. I sold a few at the pet expo, which I was very excited about!

the Phoenix Pet Expo

Saturday was the Phoenix Pet Expo. I was lucky enough to attend and have an Ironwood booth there.



Over 11,000 people attended, a lot came with their furry or scaly pets. Many rescues had booths and came with pets available for adoption. There were also horses from two different horse rescues in attendance. Events of the day included a dog agility course, a frisbee lawn and a pet costume contest. Everyone seemed to have a really good time. So far the count for the day is over 30 adoptions!! That's great!

I really enjoyed informing people about Ironwood and what we do. Many people had/have no idea why such a place needs to exist, but many were happy to hear that one does.

A young lady that makes stuffed animal pigs for donations for Ironwood also came along and helped raise awareness and donations. I was able to sell some hats and show off pictures of Ironwoods cuties. All together we left with over $90. Every bit helps as we are non-profit. Thanks to all who attended! Hope to see an even bigger turnout next year!!

Apache Junction Rescue, Day 1

Friday, June 4th, Ben and I headed to Apache Junction to get the first 5 pigs. I'm not sure what the total number of the rescue will end up being, but I'm guessing close to 30. A woman in Apache Junction has them currently as well as other animals but it has become too much for her to handle. This is why we are stepping in.

We headed up at 6:30am. Luckily for us the pigs were relatively easy to load into carriers. They all did well on the trip back to Ironwood. We did stop once to mist them with water and make sure all were comfortable.

















When we arrived back and unloaded them they immediately started investigating their new field. It was so awesome to see them get into the wallows and find their favorite places in the field.

I will keep updating on these pigs as well as the others we will be taking in.

Facebook

Ironwood now has a Facebook page! Please "like" our page and receive more frequent updates and pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/IronwoodPigSanctuary

Update on Pinky

Pinky has been slowing down with his eating. His jaw infection has gotten a bit worse which I'm sure makes eating less fun for him. He did enjoy some mac n' cheese tonight and a couple of veggie patties as well as some other goodies.

He is walking better since we started him on prednisone but spends most of his time laying underneath Tim's trailer for the coolness. We recently brought Pinky into a pen so we could monitor him better. I will update as we go.

She's A Regular

Emily has been boarding every summer with Ironwood for about the last 6 years or so. She's super friendly and just as pretty. She likes to roam around and get a lot of attention. Emily definitely enjoys her vacations!

Napolean and Nestor

Napolean and Nestor came to us from a very loving woman. Due to foreclosure issues this woman could no longer house these adorable boys. She cared for them like they were her children and has already visited them here.

Napolean has major kidney problems. He needs and loves vegetables and fruits. He gets very excited for his special foods. Nestor gets these treats as well. We all know how it is to see a sibling get something delicious while you have to watch. Not to mention the healthy treats are doing him some good I'm sure.

When the boys first came to us they were a little shy but very friendly. As time has gone by they know that we are friendly as well and love getting attention from us. We know these two were extremely loved and spoiled so we try to give them some special attention whenever we can.

We have already integrated Napolean and Nestor into a section of a field with three other pigs; George, Walter and Murphy, also newcomers. They have all done very well together and seem happy! Once they are settle with each other we will start integrating them into the whole field so they can roam as much as they want.

Welcome to Ironwood. How can we accommodate you?

A big part of being a pig caretaker is making sure the pigs are comfortable and content. It can be hard sometimes to judge what is best.

Recently Bilbo, whom I have posted about before, has gone downhill. He wasn't getting around as well as he used to and was eating less. We brought him in to the pens to monitor him. It became apparent that one of his back feet is giving him trouble. Another big factor is his age. Bilbo is an older boy and as the pigs get older they tend to get slower and finicky with their eating.

We moved Bilbo into a pen with a double sized shelter as he is a large boy. We then placed a padded bed, of sorts, in front of it as a step for him. This has worked out great! Bilbo has now been getting up much more and with ease. Lately he has even been eating plenty of healthy foods including his normal grain and a lot of fruit. Way to go Bilbo!

We still have to monitor him as it is quickly heating up here. The hot temperatures really take a toll on a lot of the pigs, especially the older ones. We have already had a few getting too hot. To help with this we install shade cloth in many areas and have misters in the pens. Of course we also have pools and wallows all throughout the sanctuary.





Here is Bilbo shooting me a smile.

Just Because

I thought I'd share a picture of the baby boy cuddling with my pugs and me. There are endless precious moments here.

Pinky Walks Again!

I speak of Pinky a lot. He is one of the sweetest boys and I could hand-feed him all day.

He had been having a lot of trouble with walking. His joints were swollen and the Rimadyl we were giving him wasn't helping much. We recently switched him to Prednisone, which to our happy surprise has helped him greatly!

Pinky now looks like he's showing off as he walks around and his joints are no longer swollen. I love looking outside and seeing him walking without the pain he used to carry.

Growing Pains

Our new little boy made it through his surgery today! He was neutered this morning and is currently grunting and looking for love. He is a little uncomfortable right now but is well. We are still facing the issue of him throwing up whenever he eats. Hopefully this is resolved soon.









This man holds a lot of energy!! Here he is a couple of days ago playing with his toys.

Shaky Breaky Heart

Recently Mary received an email from a woman who had a sick pig. She had gone to a breeder and saw one of the pigs "flopping" around on the ground. At 7 days old he still had not gotten milk from his mom. The woman felt the pig was not getting the care he needed and took him home. He could hardly stand or walk straight and would continuously fall over. She did the proper thing by going to a vet and starting treatment for the pig including vitamin E. She named him Kokoro, meaning heart.

Kokoro was showing slight improvement. However, the woman has become ill with lupus and feels that she can no longer adequately care for Kokoro. Wanting the best for him she called Ironwood. Mary told the woman that we would take Kokoro and it just so happened that the day he arrived we had a vet on hand.

After observation we were informed that Kokoro has "shaky pig syndrome". This is a virus that some pigs are born with. It causes the pig to have poor coordination and to fall down often. Kokoro has received some antibiotics and we continue to give him the proper nutrition. He still has difficulty with standing up and walking straight but he is a trooper! Kokoro loves attention and is very curious.

I have spent some extra time with this boy and as a result he has made his way into my heart. He has slept in my lap and on my shoulder and enjoys chewing on my hair when he sneaks his way to it. You can't help but smile when you're with him.

I will keep updating on his progress with "shaky pig".

Capital One

Do you use a Capital One credit card? If so you could help the pigs here at Ironwood! If not, why not get one!?

Ironwood has partnered with Capital One so that 2% of gas and grocery purchases and 1% of all other purchases made with your credit card will be donated to Ironwood. As an added bonus, Ironwood receives a $50 donation when you make your first purchase! Plus your Ironwood Pig Sanctuary Capital One credit card displays a lovely picture of a group of some of the pigs here.

This is an easy way to contribute to Ironwood. Remember, Ironwood is a non-profit organization. The donations we receive make a HUGE impact!

www.CardLabConnect.com/ironwoodpigsanctuary

Land of the Flies

Flies are in full effect this year. As a step to keep the pigs comfy and to keep the flies from annoying them so much we apply SWAT to the pigs faces. This is a fly repellent ointment for wounds and sores. It comes in a clear formula and a pink formula. We've already had to start using it on a lot of the pigs. This summer will be a doozy!

Here is Frances sporting the pink SWAT. I think she wears it well.

Animal Hoarding

In 2001 more than 300 animals were rescued from a mobile home in South Tucson. Some of the animals that were in the home were already dead by the time the rescue occurred. According to the Animal Cruelty Task Force "An awful lot of animals were living on top of dead animals."

Animals that were found include rabbits, dogs, hedgehogs, chickens, pigs, pigmy goats, peacocks, and more! Among those saved were Dolly and Mama.

These two lovely girls reside in part of our Northwest field. Dolly enjoys lounging in her dogloo while Mama prefers to get some sun.




We also have Sean, Glen, Blanch and a few others from this rescue that are in our Northwest field. They're very happy and have been hanging out in wallows lately as it has been heating up here.

Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon is a resident of our Main field. She gets along well with her field mates and enjoys resting under low shelters such as the one in the picture. She's quite friendly and is such a pretty girl! The story of how Miss Saigon became an Ironwood resident is a rough one.

Ironwood received a call from the humane society many years ago stating that they had rescued a potbellied pig. The humane society had received a call from some good citizens who saw a pig being chased and beaten with a hammer. Miss Saigon's owners were trying to kill her for food.

She had blood coming out of her ears and mouth but luckily did not have any brain damage. She of course was traumatized though and weary of humans.

Through much love and time Miss Saigon warmed up to the staff at Ironwood. She now enjoys attention and her time roaming the field. A big thank you for those that reported this crime. Please report any animal abuse to your local authorities.

Foreclosures

Many people have faced and continue to face housing foreclosures. Often times this means having to find a temporary or permanent home for pets. It can be especially hard to find homes for larger pets, such as pigs.

Mary was contacted by a woman in Albuquerque who had to leave her house and now needed to find placement for her two pigs. She had until the 30th of March to do so. Through many emails and phone calls Mary was able to arrange for Tim, one of my coworkers, to go pick up the pigs.


The two pigs are Zoey and Squeaky, both girls. They are both very sweet. Squeaky loves to get attention while Zoey is still warming up. Yesterday I learned that Squeaky likes to give kisses, yay!

These girls are still living in our pen area while they get acclimated and we learn more about them. Hopefully we will be able to work them into one of our fields.